On October 11, 2023, fans were shocked as the Vancouver Canucks wiped the floor with the Edmonton Oilers. As a team that wasn’t expected to do a whole lot, the Canucks’ season expectations weren’t as lofty as the team they faced off against. However, in a shocking turn of events, Vancouver stole the first game from the Oilers by putting up eight goals compared to their opponents’ one. The Canucks went on to win the Pacific Division and make it to game 7 of the second round of playoffs.
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Expectations for Vancouver were now near sky-high. Fans labelled the team Stanley Cup contenders if not playoff locks. They said goodbye to Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Ian Cole, and more, bringing in Jake DeBrusk, Vincent Desharnais, Kiefer Sherwood, and others. Everyone seemed to approach the 2024–25 season differently from the last. But on October 9, 2024, Canucks fans were once again shocked by their team as they gave up a 4–1 lead, eventually losing 6–5 in overtime to the Calgary Flames.
In the first five games of their 2024–25 regular season, the Vancouver Canucks have gone 2–1–2, with their only regulation loss coming against the Tampa Bay Lighting. It’s not a far cry from the team’s 3–2 record last season, recorded within the same timeframe. Let’s break down each season’s start game-by-game, from the first to the fifth.
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Game 1
2023–24: 8–1 W vs. Edmonton
Both seasons saw Vancouver match up against Albertan divisional rivals in their home openers, with the 2023–24 roster skating against the Edmonton Oilers. What was most prevalent in this game was the clear difference in quality goaltending. Thatcher Demko stopped 22 of 23 shots from the Oilers while battling illness (to the point where he had puked in his mask and had to be taken out for the remainder of the game), while Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell each let in four goals on 16 shots faced.
2024–25: 6–5 OTL vs. Calgary
The 2024–25 Canucks team took on the Calgary Flames for their first game at Rogers Arena. While the Flames weren’t expected to give Vancouver a hard time, Calgary is currently first in the division. The Canucks predominantly tested Flames goaltender Dan Vladar from the right side, while Calgary tested Artūrs Šilovs from all angles. The Flames blocked 22 shots, while Vancouver blocked 12. An evident shift in offence came in the second period when Calgary seemed to slam on the gas, and the Canucks began braking. This momentum followed the Flames into the third period and eventually overtime.
Game 2
2023–24: 4–3 OTW @ Edmonton
In a quick rematch against the Edmonton Oilers, the 2023–24 Vancouver Canucks took another victory in a 4–3 nailbiter. It was a game that, despite ending in Vancouver’s favour, easily could have gone to Edmonton. The Canucks put up 16 shots compared to the Oilers’ 40, with all of their goals coming from close to the net. Casey DeSmith started for Vancouver, making 37 saves and registering a .925 SV%. Part of this offensive suppression came from the 25 shots that the Canucks blocked, most of which came in a second period that saw Vancouver go on the penalty kill four times.
2024–25: 3–2 SOL vs. Philadelphia
Although the 2024–25 Canucks lost their second game of the season, they kept pretty similar numbers to their opponent, the Philadelphia Flyers, throughout the game. Kevin Lankinen put up a solid performance, making 29 saves on 31 shots against. Notably, Vancouver won 37 saves on the night, putting their faceoff win percentage at 57.8. However, Philadelphia knew where to capitalize, blocking seven of the Canucks’ nine shots in the second period (their least offensively-productive period in the game). While both of these second games were only determined by one goal, there were differences in shot-blocking patterns determined by the tide of the game.
Game 3
2023–24: 2–0 L @ Philadelphia
In a low-scoring, high-penalty affair in Philadelphia, the 2023–24 Vancouver Canucks registered their first loss of the season. Vancouver was shut out 2–0, with the only two goals of the game coming in the first period. The Canucks got off to a rough start by allowing their first goal only 1:45 into the game. Thanks to Demko, the score wasn’t worse, as the Flyers finished the game with 42 shots on goal compared to Vancouver’s 26. Outside of a five-penalty third period, the Canucks also took one in the first period and two in the second.
2024–25: 4–1 L @ Tampa Bay
The Vancouver and Tampa Bay rosters of 2024–25 managed to put up the same amount of shots in their mid-October matchup, though the score told a different story. In a similar vein to their third game of the previous season, they let a goal in within the first five minutes of the game, as Nikita Kucherov scored 3:55 into the first period. Vancouver also allowed another early-period goal, with Anthony Cirelli tucking one in just 39 seconds into the third. As well, the team took two double minors — both for high-sticking — in the third period.
Game 4
2023–24: 4–3 L @ Tampa Bay
Second-period woes showed themselves in the 2023–24 Canucks’ game against Tampa Bay because, despite scoring two goals, they only registered eight shots in that time frame. While the Lighting put up 15 and 19 in the first and second periods, respectively, Vancouver slowed their pace after the first. Another point to note was the difference in shot-blocking execution. Tampa Bay had a high concentration of shot blocks in front of their net during the third period, which is where most of Vancouver’s scoring chances came from. With that being said, Vancouver put up a promising effort in this span of time — they simply were unable to beat Tampa’s defence.
2024–25: 3–2 OTW @ Florida
The first win of the 2024–25 Vancouver Canucks’ came in overtime against the Florida Panthers. It was a rough, physical game, as the Canucks and Panthers respectively registered 41 and 35 hits. Kiefer Sherwood led Vancouver with 10 hits, while Florida’s Sam Bennett made five. A consistent amount of shots and hits contributed to an engaged team effort, as well as a quality, 26-save start by Lankinen. Considering that this installment of the team seems to thrive most off of physical games — as seen in their home opener against the Flames — it’s not surprising that their first win came off of a 41-hit performance.
Game 5
2023–24: 5–3 W @ Florida
The 2023–24 Canucks roster ended a two-game losing streak with a 5–3 win against the Florida Panthers. Their six-shot third period consisted mostly of defending against the Panthers’ offence, which was permeated by two net-front goals by Sam Reinhart. Most of both teams’ time in this period was spent in Vancouver’s zone, showing a noticeable difference from the spread-out presence in the previous periods. DeSmith continued his impressive start to the season with a 34-save performance on 36 shots, solidifying himself as the next man up after Demko.
2024–25: 3–0 W @ Philadelphia
After a short stretch of concern for Canucks fans, who saw their team start the season off with three losses (though two were in overtime), Vancouver picked it back up and shut the Flyers out in a 3–0 victory. Fans saw the dynamic duo of Nils Höglander and Conor Garland pull off some pretty passing with Elias Pettersson to notch the first — and game-winning — goal. The team put up 37 hits against Philadelphia’s 28, notably led by Jake DeBrusk (7) and Kiefer Sherwood (9). Another quality start by Lankinen set the goaltender up to be Vancouver’s starter for however long it may take for Demko to return.
